Argazzi Art now has work on display from Suzanne Onodera, a painter who was born and raised on the West Coast but now lives in Ithaca, N.Y.
“I met Suzanne though another artist, who shows with her in California,” said Argazzi Art owner Judith Singelis. “I had been looking at her work for a long time. She paints wonderfully, the strong brushwork and dynamic palette.”
Onodera says of her work that, “These large-scale oil paintings depict a mood of unrest in the turbulent skies, mountain fires and deep azure pools, illustrating humankind’s connection to place and nature” and addressing “themes of decay, loneliness, stewardship and regeneration; yet always present in the work is the beautiful, the mysterious and the ambiguous.”
Singelis has six pieces by Onodera in the gallery on Main Street in Lakeville, Conn. They will be in the gallery until mid July, Singelis said.
Because of ongoing COVID-19 caution, there will not be an opening party, but make an appointment to come in.
For information on Argazzi Art at 22 Millerton Road/Route 44 in Lakeville, Conn., call 860-435-8222, email info@argazziart.com and go online to www.argazziart.com.
SALISBURY — Town officials discussed a proposed pedestrian tunnel beneath Route 44 at the Board of Selectmen’s regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 2.
First Selectman Curtis Rand said the underground walkway, which would connect Salisbury School’s main campus with its athletic fields, must be owned by the town because Route 44 is a state highway, under requirements from the state Department of Transportation.
Rand said the town’s attorney is working with the DOT and the school to draft a legal agreement. Salisbury School would be responsible for all construction and ongoing maintenance costs.
Budget
Rand said he has begun work on the 2026–27 budget with Comptroller Joe Cleaveland and noted that the town’s Grand List has been completed.
He also said the Town of Salisbury will be accepting grant funds from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’sSustainable Materials Management grant program, not to exceed $266,692, on behalf of the Salisbury/Sharon Transfer Station. The funds will be used to investigate, develop, and implement a process to expand food waste/organic separation and possibly implement a solid waste Unit-Based-Pricing — commonly known as Pay As You Throw —program within the towns of Salisbury and Sharon.
Ordinance review
Kristine Simmons, Jada Wilson, Emily Egan and Lorraine Cleveland are continuing work on updating the town’s ordinances. The revised ordinances will be presented and voted on at a future town meeting.
The selectmen also appointed John Harney to fill a vacancy on the Board of Assessment Appeals for a four-year term that expires in Nov. 2029.
Jane Sellery, left, and Karen Vrotsos discussed genealogy practices at the Scoville Memorial Library Thursday, Jan. 29.
Genealogist Jane Sellery guided seven researchers through the challenges of tracing Revolutionary War–era Salisbury residents during a program at Scoville Memorial Library on Thursday, Jan. 29.
The session was the second in a series tied to Salisbury READS, a community reading program centered on “Revolution Song” by Russell Shorto. The program is sponsored by the library and the Salisbury Association Historical Society.
Participants researched individuals whose gravestones are located in the cemetery behind Salisbury Town Hall, uncovering firsthand the complications that often arise in historical records.
Tracy Flynn of Salisbury researched Jacob Davis — who was also known as Jacobus Davis — and found that even basic identification can be difficult. In addition to variant spellings, Flynn discovered what appeared to be two men with the same name, likely father and son. One Jacob Davis lived from 1737 to 1797, while the second lived from 1762 to 1841, spanning the Revolutionary War period and beyond.
Sellery said such confusion is common. Birth and death dates can be hard to read on worn gravestones, and even when legible, the dates do not always match written records.
Census records present additional challenges.
Sellery noted that the 1900 census is often off by one year, depending on whether a person was born before or after June 1. Wording also matters: a record stating someone was “in the 68th year” means the person was 67 at the time.
The 1890 census is largely unavailable due to a warehouse fire in St. Louis that destroyed most of the records.
Other obstacles include inconsistent name spellings — such as “Hayes” and “Hays” — difficult handwriting, and records written in foreign languages or alphabets. Sellery said artificial intelligence can help in some cases, such as translating images of documents written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
Addressing immigration records, Sellery said the popular belief that officials routinely Anglicized immigrants’ names is largely inaccurate. Facilities such as Ellis Island relied on passenger manifests from incoming ships, which did not always match later naturalization records.
“It wasn’t, ‘Okay, we’re going to make you Green,’” Sellery said.
She added that some immigrants intentionally changed or concealed their identities, while others adopted American-sounding names to assimilate. In the 1920s, name changes became more common amid fears of prejudice, a trend that reversed in the 1930s and 1940s.
Housatonic Valley FFA students raised funds at the holiday store earlier this winter. On Feb. 5, Holly Kempner accepted a donation from the FFA on behalf of the Corner Food Pantry in Lakeville.
FALLS VILLAGE — On Feb. 5, the Housatonic Valley FFA Chapter donated a total of $1,200 to six local non-profits, with each organization receiving $200.
The recipients included Kent Food Pantry, Cornwall Food Bank, Fishes & Loaves in North Canaan, The Corner Food Pantry in Lakeville, the Sharon Food Bank, and the Jane Lloyd Fund — which provides financial support for cancer patients —in Salisbury.
Holly Kempner, who accepted a check on behalf of the Corner Food Pantry, said she was impressed by the FFA donation and the activities of the members.
“We serve a lot of people, including New York state and Massachusetts,” she said. “So we really appreciate it.”
For more than a decade, the Housatonic Valley FFA Chapter has supported local organizations, including the food pantries in Region One. These donations are made possible through the chapter’s Holiday Sale. The sale and class unit not only allows FFA members to give back to the community, but also provides valuable, hands-on experience in business management, marketing, communication, and teamwork.
Community members interested in supporting local food banks are encouraged to contact these food banks directly, as they are always in need of food donations and volunteer support.
Kellie Eisermann is the FFA Reporter for the 2025-26 school year. She is a junior and lives in Lakeville with her parents, Jonathan Eisermann and Aubrey Murphy. She plans to go into the family business, Four Seasons Pool Service in Millerton, and go to community college after graduation.
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assault arrest
On the afternoon of Feb. 1, troopers were dispatched to a Route 44 address in Lakeville for the report of an active physical altercation. After investigating, officers arrested Christopher Race, 48, of Lakeville for three counts: disorderly conduct, third degree assault and second-degree strangulation/suffocation. No injuries were reported. Race was released on a $2,500 cash bond and was scheduled to appear in Torrington Superior Court the next morning.
“Failure to pay” charge yields hefty bail
On the afternoon of Feb. 2, Justin Demaraies, 44, of North Canaan turned himself in to Troop B on an active warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody on the charge of failing to pay for a home improvement job, and was subsequently released on a $10,000 non-surety bond. He is scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on Feb. 17.
Car strikes snowbank
At around 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, Kaelyn Brennan, 37, of Sharon was driving east on Mudgetown Road when his Honda Accord ran off the road and struck a snowbank. Brennan was uninjured but his car was towed from the scene. He was issued a warning or failure to maintain lane.
Year old larceny, forgery warrant
On Feb. 5, the Department of Corrections transported Francis Corcoran, 67, of Bridgeport to the G.A. 18 holding area for Troop B officers to present their active warrant. Corcoran was processed for fourth degree larceny and third-degree forgery relating to an incident dated Feb. 19, 2025 on Bruey Road in Norfolk. Corcoran was held by the DOC on a $2,500 non-surety bond and brought to his arraignment the same day.
Disorderly conduct arrest
On the evening of Feb. 5, troopers were dispatched to an East Main Street address in North Canaan on the report of an active physical dispute. After investigating the scene, troopers arrested Francine Wabshinak, 58, of North Canaan for disorderly conduct. After processing, she was released on a $1,500 non-surety bond and was scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court the next day.
Route 44 construction zone accident
At round 5 a.m. on Feb. 6, William Zygmont, 18, of Colebrook, was driving west through a single-lane construction zone on Route 44 in Norfolk when he turned on his hazard lights and pulled to the right to enter a driveway. A trailing Subaru B9 Tribeca, driven by Jefferson Muymuy, 23, of Queens, New York, then attempted to pass and collided with Zygmont’s 1994 Ford Ranger. Neither driver was injured but Muymuy’s Subaru had to be towed. He was also found to be driving with only a learner’s permit and was issued infractions for driving without a valid license and unsafe passing.
State line collision
On the afternoon of Feb. 6, N V Bulzacchelli, 89, of Millerton, was driving east on Route 44 over the state border from Millerton to Salisbury when a Subaru Forester pulled out in front of him from Stateline Car Wash, causing a collision. The driver, Rolando Cuccho, 23, of Lakeville, was found to be at fault for the incident and was issued infractions for operating a vehicle without a license and failure to grant right of way. Neither driver was injured, but Cuccho’s Forester and Bulzacchelli’s Chevrolet Malibu both were towed from the scene.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or email editor@lakevillejournal.com
